Winter Walking

We went walking this week.  We are experiencing an amazingly mild winter so far.  It's been nice.  So nice in fact, that we talked Grandpa into going on a walk.  The winters are long for him.  It's painful for him to be out in the cold weather, so when the temps hit a warm 49 degrees, he agreed that a ride outside would be a good change of scenery.  We started out with all three hooligans fighting over who would get to push him down the road in his chair.  There aren't many things that bring a smile to his face anymore, but three little people loving him this much made him feel pretty special.  It made me smile big, and I had to laugh when my little man won the fight.  It was an adventurous ride for Grandpa, and that's putting it mildly.  It's a little hard for Doop to see where he's going since he's shorter than the wheelchair, and combine that with the slope in the road and there were a couple of times that I was sure my dad was going to end up in the ditch.  His remaining leg got a pretty good workout trying to stop the chair and get it turned back in the right direction.  It was good for him, and good for us to spend time together.  It's not something we've done in a while.  The sun on my face, and watching the kids interact with him and Grandma was priceless.  Here are a few images of our time together.  If you're feeling the winter blues, go outside and take a look around.  Look hard.  There are so many beautiful things to see, and I promise you will be glad you did.  I've decided I need a lot more winter walking!

Tonight

This is what I was looking at all the way home tonight.  Did you see it?  I just have to say it one more time.  I love the sky!  It definitely makes my day better to witness things like this!

Sunrise at Bear Lake

Have you ever really taken a look at the sky?  I mean have you ever really noticed its beauty.  It seems like no matter the mood of the weather the sky is always a beautiful canvas that stretches forever displaying some of the most beautiful scenes we could ever match our eyes with.  I love to look at the sky, and often times make my children look at it.  I love the fact that it is always changing, but its beauty remains constant.  I decided to get up early this weekend and try and catch the sun coming up over Bear Lake.  I was a little late, but what I did see was nothing short of spectacular.  It was worth a little less sleep, and it brought me some much needed peace to sit by myself and bask in the early morning light.  This was new for me since I'm usually driving home from somewhere (in a hurry!) enjoying the sunset.  I have decided that both times of the day are beautiful.  If you have a chance slow down and take a look.  You might be missing out on a great opportunity.

If Walls Could Talk

My in-laws have a cabin at Bear Lake that we visit throughout the summer each year.  Every time we turn off on the dirt road that winds its way around the mountain to this hidden retreat, we pass by an old desolate home with a barn out behind it.  It has caught my eye for several years, and this weekend my curiosity got the best of me and I was lured in to explore both buildings and their surroundings.  Of course I didn't go alone.  I'm not the only one who has been curious.  Seej came along and so did Grandma, although you won't see any pictures of her because she literally threatened to kill me if I took any of her!  Visiting this place was fascinating, and we all found ourselves wishing that walls could talk and wondering what they would tell us if they could.  I kept wondering who had lived here, how long they had been gone, and why was it still here.  It sits up on the hill overlooking the lake and I wondered what the view was like when people actually lived here.  Not only were the buildings old and lifeless, but much of the vegetation directly surrounding the buildings was dead as well.  The interesting part was that not too far off in the distance the trees were thriving and there were a few flowers blooming as if to say that not all was lost.  Obviously the land is still utilized for grazing cattle since there was a new gate on the fence and the watering troughs were still full.  This made me wonder if whoever is using the ground is preserving these memories because they have a history with the people who once lived here, or if they just appreciate the life that still resonates in what once was.  Either way, I'm glad it's still here.  It would be interesting if the weathered walls could actually talk and answer all of my questions.  Although they cannot literally speak, they tell a wonderful story of perseverance and strength through the warped and bent wood that is still linked together and standing.  I have respect for this place as I do for the many other places we pass on the way that are similar to this.  I'm so glad we took the time to visit.  It was well worth it.  I hope you enjoy the beauty in it as much as I do.